OCEAN BEACH  Calling the small-scale charm of Ocean Beach something crucial to preserve, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved a community plan for the area on Tuesday that aims to limit dense development.

The residents successfully lobbied the council not to soften anti-development language in the proposed plan, a change requested by a group of property owners and endorsed in May by the San Diego Planning Commission.

Councilman Ed Harris, whose district includes Ocean Beach, said the planning commission had made a mistake and that the plan adopted Tuesday puts “lifestyle and community above profit.”

Residents said the plan, which discourages allowing exceptions to the community’s strict density limits, would help Ocean Beach avoid becoming more like Mission Beach or Pacific Beach, where three-story vacation rentals have replaced less intense housing in many areas.

Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, who was elected in June to begin representing Ocean Beach in December, vowed to help the area maintain its Bohemian charm. “I think it’s probably the last authentic beach community in Southern California,” she said.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer endorsed the plan last week, saying it represents the wishes and character of Ocean Beach.

The property owners who sought softer anti-development language said the plan was a violation of their property rights and could prompt lawsuits. They contend density exceptions granted in recent years on West Point Loma Boulevard have upgraded the community by replacing dilapidated duplexes with quality new housing.

Pete Ruscitti, chairman of the Ocean Beach Planning Board, disagreed, calling the exceptions “a dangerous pattern that must not continue.”

The plan, the first community plan adopted for the area since 1975, still must be approved by the Coastal Commission this fall.